... with open eyes, and a generous heart, there is awe 'round many a corner ...

Tuesday, 15 June 2010

Follow that Bird - camera kill

Their sound echoed through the forest for most of the two hour walk.

The excitement was immense for even the most common of sightings, say a magpie lark, grey butcher bird or Willie Wagtail. There was much brouhaha for say, a Grey Goshawk, a Spotted Pardalote, an Olive-backed Oriole or a Golden Whistler. But when we sighted the three Lyrebirds all seven tiles were plonked down on a triple word score!

They are quick and VERY industrious

They were spectacular, both in sight and in sound. They did not scurry away, but afforded us quality time. I have many shots more blurred than these. Panning in low light is essential. I shall get that F1.4 50mm tomorrow!

There is a Brown Gerygone (warbler) on a branch in here.

With my new Celeston 10x42 binoculars and my Canon 450D with both lenses, and with my trusty hiking stick I was weighed down. Too much to do, insufficient hands and balance.

There were a few White-faced Heron's among the cows.

Switching between camera and binoculars was not on at this early stage – I need more experience birding and with the binoculars. On the way up I used the camera, on the way down the binoculars. I saw much more with the binoculars which are just spectacular.

There were large flocks of Cattle Egrets in the paddocks.

Follow that Bird next to the Watagan State Forest in the Hunter Valley on 7th August.

Addendum - I tried out other equipment which I have readied for my travels to the north of Western Australia starting today. The backpack and water-bottle are ditched in favour of my old ones. My shoes and jacket are perfect. Need a belt from which to hang my binoculars.

I sympathise with the difficulty of juggling so much gear. I gave up trying to combine the two hobbies of birdwatching and photography - I just can't carry everything (and a tripod too!) But you got some good shots here.

Lovely birds, exotic to me. Except that we have white cattle egrets in Oklahoma. I don't remember seeing them when I was a boy. I think they came up the river from the Gulf of Mexico. They may be the most wide spread bird in the world next to the English sparrow.

The Lyre birds are the easy ones to spot in that particular forest ... they seem to be all over the place and as you say willing to hang about ... that doesn't however, mean the photographs turn out as well as yours.

The Brown Gerygone photo is oh so typical of dozens I've taken over the years. But I'm sure you will master getting decent shots a long way sooner than me.